Summit House Restaurant - Crystal Mt. Resort, Washington

Summit House Restaurant

Crystal Mountain Resort

33914 Crystal Mountain Blvd.
Crystal Mountain, WA 98022

(360) 663-2265
https://crystalmountainresort.com/

From Kent, Washington it was a lovely 58-mile drive along pine studded two lane roads leading you to the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort nestled snugly on the side of a small hillside in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and overlooks Mt. Rainier.  To get to the restaurant you need to ride the tram up the hill; it was $23.00 for adults and $18.00 for seniors, Right off the bat we had expended nearly $100.00 for our party of four.  The ride itself is specular affording you a breathtaking view of the small valley you drove thru and the majestic mountains that surround the resort.

Once you arrive at the top and disembark from the tram you are greeted by the majestic panorama of Mt. Rainier and the seemingly magical valley below.  The restaurant is situated at the top of the hill and affords patrons views of the surrounding mountains. Situated at 6,872 feet above sea level, it is billed as Washington’s highest elevation restaurant.  If you dine outside on the patio there is the added bonus of the Mt. Rainier vista.  During the off season, dining service stops at 4:40 and we had arrived around 2:30, so this would be a very early dinner for all of us.

The restaurant is named “The Summit House” and is a casual eating establishment, frequented by off season patrons as well as the avid ski buffs during winter.  A rustic knotty pine clad room with tall windows on both sides of the room and the tables and chairs are rustic pine wood. It should be noted that there were flies inside, some the size of horse flies but; oddly enough they stayed on the glass windows and did not fly around us or the food.

The menu offers a good variety of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, a kids menu and a choice of four desserts. They offer signature cocktails, beer and wine by the glass or bottle. Assorted soft drinks, coffee, tea, hot cocoa and homemade ginger ale and homemade lemonade are also available.  An automatic 20% gratuity is added to tables of six or more and there is a two check per table maximum.

Our choices included the Catch of the Day ($25.00) which was Mahi Mahi with a spicy sauce paired with rice pilaf and grilled asparagus spears. The fish was grilled nicely but the sauce lacked in depth or spice.  The pilaf was overcooked but the taste was adequate, the asparagus spears had a nice al dente snap to them. Next was the grilled Halibut tacos served of flour tortillas and accompanied by refried beans and Spanish rice.

Next we ordered the Grilled Halibut Tacos ($26.00), three tacos served on flour tortillas and paired with refried beans and Spanish rice.  The fish was moist and juicy and topped with a chipotle sauce and a pineapple slaw.  The beans were a bit on the dry side and the Spanish rice was ordinary but still tasty.  You also got a small size container of fresh Salsa which helped to brighten the otherwise mundane flavors of the rice and beans.

The third choice was the New York Strip Steak ($29.00) paired with truffle fries and seasonal grilled vegetables. The steak is topped with herb butter and crispy Shitake mushrooms.  The steak was ordered medium rare and was medium when served but the taste was excellent, it retained its juiciness.   The Truffle fries were the hit of the table, taste, texture and aroma were divine.  This entrée was also served with grilled asparagus.

Our final choice was the Zucchini and Corn Tacos ($16.00), three corn tortilla tacos laden with grilled zucchini, corn, onions, tomatillos and black beans.  The taste was excellent but eating them was difficult because excess moisture wicking into the tortillas caused them to fall apart.  None the less they were delicious.  This entrée was served with the refried beans and Spanish rice also.

We paired our entrees with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Seven Falls Winery in Washington State.  It is a deep coffee, cocoa flavored wine with hints of plum and cherry and a slight under taste of mint.  It paired well with all of our entrée choices.  The bottle price was $39.00 a bit cheaper than the per glass cost for four patrons.

Our server was nice and provided our food and wine promptly, however when she asked how our food was, she added no response when told about the over cooking of the meat. She then asked why we had ventured to the top of the mountain and was informed we were celebrating a birthday; she offered no complimentary dessert even in the light of the cooking of the steak.

Our tram ride and meal came to over $220.00 not including tax and tip, would I go again?  For sure but not for dinner, I would enjoy a bottle of wine out on the patio while savoring a pile of Truffle Fries.

You can check out their summer menu at: https://crystalmountain.scdn3.secure.raxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Summit_Summer-4.pdf

 

Ted Peters Smoked Fish

1350 Pasadena Avenue South

St Petersburg, FL 33707

A landmark since 1951, Ted Peters still packs in newcomers as well as seasoned veterans who are second and third generation customers. Anyone who has been in the area has been drawn in by the aroma of the smokehouse located next door to the restaurant.  You are offered your choice of outdoor seating on picnic tables and benches where sun shades are available to keep the sun at bay; or you can dine inside where air conditioning affords the summer visitors much relief while dining.

The menu features smoked salmon, mahi mahi, mackerel and mullet as the featured entrees; these can be purchased as a lunch with just the fish, or the dinner which is served with coleslaw and German potato salad.  They offer a delicious smoked fish spread in a sandwich or as an appetizer served with saltine crackers. They also offer, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, or hot dogs.  Top your meal off with a bowl of clam chowder and a slice of key lime pie. To quench your thirst you can enjoy beer, wine, sodas or a frosty cold mug of Root Beer with free refills on non alcoholic beverages.

As a first time customer I was offered a sample portion of the coleslaw, German potato salad and the smoked fish spread by our server, Sue.  As coincidence would have it, Sue was acquainted with both my brother and sister in law, but nonetheless her quality service was not only shown to me but to the other tables she was assigned.  She was eager to explain what each fish dish entailed, and as I was served my dinner she also instructed me on how to remove the backbone from my smoked mullet.  Truly our dinner was enhanced by her attentive and courteous service.

I chose the Mullet dinner which came with the coleslaw and German potato salad. Sue told me that my fish portion was larger than usual since it was the time of year they put on weight in preparation for breeding.  Truly my fish portion took up the entire plate and I was eager to try mullet for the first time.  Mullet is a staple fish in Mediterranean cooking. However, I had not heard of it until this trip to Florida.  I was learned that the local fishermen catch an abundance of this fish but that a good portion is frozen for export.

My fish was succulent, fresh and had a nice amount of fat along the backbone, the flesh separated easily from the bones without much effort.  My brother and sister in law are not big fish eaters, so they enjoyed a hamburger and watched me while I devoured every inch of my fish.   The smoking was done to a tee and did not overpower the taste of the fish, it enhanced the flavor.

You can dine in or take out, they are open Wednesday –Monday 10:30-7:30pm, and closed on Tuesdays, prices are modest ranging from $5.59-$20.99.  Ted Peters was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives a testament to the popularity of this diner.   If you find yourself in St. Petersburg, follow your nose and get ready for a real treat. Remember, cash only, no credit cards accepted.